Brian Austin Green and Vanessa Marcil’s Bumpy Past (2025)

Brian Austin Green and Vanessa Marcil’s journey from costars to coparents has been anything but easy.Green and Marcil met on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210 when she joined the show during season 9. While the twosome dated for several years, Marcil claimed in 2020 that she was “never” in love with Green.“[I was] always honest with him about that. … I did however feel sorry for him. I still do,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “He’s a very angry/sad human being who still has too much shame to take full responsibility for his actions as a father. I consciously knew that I could work through childhood traumas through him and I have. I have great empathy towards him and other people who are still in pain from their childhoods.”After welcoming son Kassius in March 2002, the pair were involved in a lengthy custody and legal battle. Marcil spoke out for the first time publicly about the drama in November 2018 via Instagram.“I never spoke publicly in order to protect my then young son from paparazzi that used to follow him & terrify him,” the former soap star wrote in part before alleging that Green and his then-wife, Megan Fox, hadn’t seen Kassius in five years.[sendtonews type="float" key="H7ttAVg1sA-3116231-14453"]While Marcil hasn’t always had nice things to say about her ex, she wasn’t afraid to praise Fox after the Transformers star and Green called it quits for the second time in 2020.“[She’s] finally living her life for herself & leaving her children out of her public life at this young age,” Marcil wrote in September 2020, referring to Fox’s relationship with Machine Gun Kelly (real name Colson Baker).Green confirmed his separation from Fox in May 2020. The exes, who share three sons, wed in 2010. Fox wasted no time moving on with Kelly, her Midnight in the Switchgrass costar.“It sucks when life changes and something that you’re used to, that you’ve been doing for 15 years, you try and not get rid of but you change. There’s the unknown aspect … there’s that pit in my stomach … I really don’t want Megan and I to be at odds … she’s been my best friend for 15 years and I don’t want to lose that,” Green said on his podcast after the split news broke. “She met this guy, Colson, on set. … I trust her judgment; she’s always had really good judgment. I don’t want people to think her or he are villains or that I was a victim in any way.”Scroll through for a timeline of Green and Marcil’s bumpy past:

Marcil joined the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210 as Donna Martin’s (Tori Spelling) cousin Gina Kincaid in 1998. She appeared on the series during seasons 9 and 10, and her character briefly dated Green’s David Silver. Offscreen, the pair hit it off and started dating.

The General Hospital alum and Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chroniclesactor welcomed son Kassius Lijah in March 2002.

The twosome split shortly after welcoming Kassius. In 2004, Green began dating a then 18-year-old Foxafter meeting her on the set of Hope & Faith. Green and Fox wed in 2010.

Marcil claimed on Instagram in November 2018 that her custody battle with Green began in 2006. “12 years ago I was served legal papers and then spent 8 years+ defending myself and my son in custody court in response to his father & his stepmother trying to get full custody(that means I would have seen my son four days a month) and then asking me to pay them child support,” Marcil alleged. “They lost that case.”

In the midst of their bitter custody battle, Green sued Marcil, alleging that she never paid him back money that he started loaning her in 2000. According to the court documents filed by the Anger Management actor in January 2012 and obtained by TMZ at the time, Green alleged that Marcil agreed to pay him back upwards of $200,000, but refused to give him the money when he asked for it in November 2011.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled in October 2012 that the statue of limitations had run out after Green failed to file his case against Marcil sooner, per TMZ. The cast was then dismissed. Marcil addressed the lawsuit on Instagram in November 2018. “They lost … a civil case asking me for 200,000,” she wrote, referring to Green and Fox. “I had also never asked for child support of any kind and had never tried to take time away from Kass’ dad seeing him. Ever. In the end they lost all of these court cases. The judge called them all ‘Frivolous’ They always had 50% custody and still did when court ended as I had and have NEVER asked for full custody.”

Marcil alleged in November 2018 that Green and Fox “decided to completely cut” Kassius “out of their lives and his younger brothers’ lives.” (Fox and Green are parents of three young sons: Noah, Bodhi and Journey. While the Transformers star filed for divorce from Green in August 2015, they reconciled in 2016 around the same time Journey was born.)

“Kass has never met his youngest brother and is not allowed to know where his bio father, stepmother and three younger brothers live,” Marcil claimed. “Custody cases hurt the children only and the truth shall set us all free. Put the kids first you guys. There shouldn’t be a ‘more important parent’ kids love both parents equally no matter what either parent’s struggles may be. Kass has been truly heartbroken since being cut out of his other families lives with NO explanation. Let’s do better for our kids. Let’s share our stories. #Buddhakids.”

A rep for Green did not return Us Weekly’s request for a comment at the time. While Green shared a photo of Kassius in a production of Aladdin on Instagram in August 2018, Marcil reposted the photo in November 2018 and claimed that she took the pic shared by her ex.

All seemed well as Kassius paid Green a visit on the set of BH90210 in July 2019. The then-17-year-old gushed over the fun-filled day in a series of Instagram pictures at the time. “I’m visiting my dad in Vancouver on the set of 90210. We’re going to be staying here for a bit. I’m here for a week. I think we’re, like, staying somewhere near downtown,” he shared. “So if for any reason any of y’all who are out here or live here happen to see me, please say something. I would love to meet y’all. So please, if you happen to see me, don’t get scared and not say anything. Please. I want to meet y’all if I can.” Marcil added in a post of her own that her fiancé, MC, was “so happy” that Kass was invited to see his father.

After Green seemingly repaired his relationship with Kassius, Marcil shed some new light on their former romance, telling her Instagram followers that she “never” loved her ex-fiancé. She also provided an update on their father-son relationship.

“[Kass] loves him unconditionally and I am very proud of that fact. I celebrate Kass’ love for his father and remain extremely grateful that My son was finally invited back into his dad’s life and was able to finally meet his youngest brother and finally see his other two siblings again. My son is also an incredible big brother,” she wrote in September 2020 via Instagram.

When asked by a social media user in September 2020 if the issues between Kassius and Green stemmed from “Megan or Brian,” Marcil replied, “It’s a biological father’s responsibility to see his child.”

She also praised Fox for her relationship with Kelly, which came shortly after her split from Green. “Megan finally living her life for herself is in itself a gift to her children,” Marcil wrote at the time.

Green, for his part, had a cryptic reply on his own social media profile.

“Just because you lost me as a friend doesn’t mean you gained me as an enemy. I am bigger than that. I still wanna see you eat, just not at my table,” he wrote via Instagram after Marcil’s remarks made headlines.

Green poked fun at Marcil’s claims that he’s an “angry” and “sad person” on a September 2020 episode of his podcast, “With Brian Austin Green.”

“I’m just angry. … I’m angry and I’m sad all the time. And I just don’t know what to do about it. I’m more angry today, I don’t know why,” he quipped to cohost Derek Russell. “My temper it’s legendary. … If you check around the industry, I’m known as the angry, sad guy. And the diva on set. … They’re just complete opposites, being angry and sad, like, they don’t seem like they would mix together.”

Russell also tackled Marcil’s remark that she “never” loved Green. “I’ve been there for you every step of the way, but I never loved you, Brian,” he told the actor. “I never loved you.”

Green sarcastically responded, “That’s a shame.”

Marcil seemingly sided with Fox again in November 2020 when the New Girl alum slammed Green for sharing a Halloween photo with their youngest son, Journey.

“Like I said … The Truth always comes out in the end …” the former soap opera star wrote via Instagram amid the drama. She added, “#ImWithYouSister.”

Months after including Marcil in his International Woman’s Day Instagram roundup in March 2021, she sent him support for the premiere of season 30 of Dancing With the Stars, which Kassius attended.

“Headed to see dad. #TeamGreen @dancingabc,” Marcil wrote via Instagram in honor of Green and partner and girlfriend Sharna Burgess’ September 2021 debut.

In October 2022, Green clapped back after he heard that Marcil was making statements about their past custody battle over Kassius. "I just heard that my ex was claiming I spent years taking her to court and asking for child support," he wrote via his Instagram Story. "How was I the Respondent then??? #factsisfacts #thetruthshallsetyoufree." The former Masked Dancer cohost also shared a screenshot that seemed to show court papers listing Marcil as the petitioner and him as the respondent.

Green took to Instagram in February 2023 to call out Marcil after she alleged that she raised their son Kassius "alone."

Sharing her post via his Instagram Story, the actor wrote, “So, I can’t tell you all how frustrating it is to read continued lies from a 50+-year-old woman on social media like she is still in high school. She has never in her life been someone to walk the walk. Talk is cheap.”

He added that he and Fox "bust our assess to give Kass a well-rounded childhood since his mom was rarely there," before concluding his message by writing, "I’m assuming that’s why she posts so much of him now. When will she just GO AWAY.”

Green looked back on his time with Marcil during a May 2025 episode of his “Old-ish” podcast, deeming it “toxic.”

“It wasn’t a loving, caring relationship,” he claimed while noting his various “missteps” in romance. “After two years, you’re kind of looking at yourself in the mirror, asking, ‘Who am I at this point? There’s not one piece of me that’s left. My relationship with everyone around me has changed.’ That relationship ended up not working out.”

Green said that Fox was “a breath of fresh air” after his split from Marcil, which he said “felt like Vietnam.”

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